Page 8 of You're the Reason

Grace shut off the water, then leaned her back against the counter. “It’s my leg. My career. My life. My decision.”

When neither responded, she pushed away from the counter and walked toward the stairs. “I’m going to bed. See you in the morning.”

So much for thinking she could make it through one dinner peacefully. She climbed the stairs to the second floor and pushed her way into her bedroom, instantly transported back six years. She hadn’t lived here since she’d studied a year in Paris at sixteen, but nothing seemed to have changed. Same white-cotton curtains defusing the summer evening light, same pink floral bedspread, same cream carpet. Her packing list from the day she left for Paris was still sitting on her white desk.

She set her bag on her bed, then walked to the window. She pulled back the sheer curtain, her gaze going automatically to the roof of the porch across the street where Seth always sat. But it was empty.

She was about to look away when a small light flickered in one of the windows. Then again. Someone was in the house. Surely Heritage hadn’t turned into the hub of crime since she left. But there was someone in that house. Suddenly, the faint silhouette of a man appeared in the window. Grace dropped the curtain and backed up. She couldn’t make out his face, but his wide shoulders filled the window. This guy was definitely not to be messed with. She reached a shaky hand toward her phone.

“Grace?”

Grace let out a small scream as she spun to face her mom.

Her mom’s eyes narrowed in concern. “Everything okay?”

Grace turned back toward the window, but didn’t see anything. Maybe she’d imagined the whole thing. She angled back to her mom. “What’s up?”

“I’m sorry I lost my cool downstairs, but you must not take time off or even step back. Trust me, you’ll regret it.” Her mom stepped closer and laid her hands gently on Grace’s arms. “You’re the principal—the prima ballerina—but as soon as you step out of the limelight, they’ll forget about you. I know.”

She didn’t have to ask. Growing up, they’d heard often of her mother’s budding television reporter career that had just started to take off when she opted to take a season off to have Gregory. When she was ready to return, her spot had been filled.

Her mom’s eyes filled with a bit of sadness. “And when that happens, there’s no going back. Your dad is right. Other companies would be happy to have you. You are the Grace Howell.”

She appreciated her mother’s support even if she doubted that her name carried that much weight. “But if my knee continues on this path?—”

Her mom shook her head. “We have worked too hard to fail now.”

We?

And suddenly it all came into focus. The little girl in the photo who had just wanted to dance had disappeared the moment she’d been put on a high-speed train to success. A train that didn’t leave room for anything else in her life. She couldn’t quit. She couldn’t slow down. Because if she took it all away, she was nobody, and she had nothing.

She nodded at her mom, and that seemed to be enough. As soon as her mom was out the door, she went back to the window. She pulled the sheer curtain back again and froze. The figure she’d seen in the window was back. But now he was exiting the house with something in his hand. She couldn’t see much besides the top of his head, but the way his gaze darted around, he looked guilty. “What are you stealing, mister?”

The man climbed into a black Mustang and revved the engine before pulling away from the curb. She might have no life, but it didn’t mean she didn’t still love this town.

She lifted her phone and dialed 911.

“911. What’s your emergency?”

“I need to report a break-in.”

two

If there was anything more humiliating than being picked up at the jail by his cousin, Seth didn’t know what it would be. He waited for Officer Hammond to unlock the holding cell, then stepped out. He followed the man through the all too familiar hall conveniently lined with wanted posters, as if to announce a cautionary tale to those being released.

Would he ever be seen as anything but a criminal? Probably not. Why had he even thought coming back and asking Jon for a job was a good idea? Maybe between the years at Quinn Ranch and years away at college he’d started to believe that he really was a new man and that others might see him that way too. Guess not.

Seth stopped by the window and waited as Officer Hammond opened a large manila envelope and dumped the contents out. “One cell phone. One wallet. And one... wood thing.”

He added the contents back to the envelope and passed it to Seth. “Sorry about the confusion.”

“No problem.”

Not that he didn’t appreciate his cousin rescuing him. He just had hoped that by twenty-four, he wouldn’t need anyone helping him with the schoolyard bullies.

Okay, that wasn’t fair. Officer Hammond wasn’t a bad guy. He’d always been decent to him even when Seth had been in the wrong. But that didn’t erase the sense of embarrassment he’d felt from the moment he’d been loaded once again into the back of the man’s squad car.

The man motioned to the chairs. “Jon will be right here. He had some papers to fill out and sign. Not to mention he has to show off photos of his new daughter to anyone who will look.”

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